Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: The Tribal Trial

The dawn's first gray light seeped through the thick canopy, casting mottled shadows across the ground where Kaito lay bound. The ropes bit into his wrists, but the pain was muted beside the pounding of his heart and the cold fire of his new reality. Hours passed—or was it days? Time felt as unmoored as his soul.His captors were stirring. A low murmur rippled through the camp, punctuated by grunts and sharp commands. From the haze emerged the tribe's warriors, faces painted with ochre and soot, bodies adorned with bone charms and feathers. Their eyes were sharp, filled with a blend of suspicion and awe directed squarely at him.Kaito's gaze shifted to the tribal leader, a brutal figure known only as Rauh. Scars crisscrossed Rauh's face like a violent script, and his dark eyes flicked over Kaito with an unsettling mix of challenge and curiosity."You are the Skywalker," Rauh grunted, the title hanging heavy in the air like a prophecy.Kaito's mind reeled. This name, whispered in dread and wonder, wasn't his own—but it was tethered to the inexplicable powers that surged through him. He flexed his fingers, feeling raw energy pulse beneath his skin, a restless tide begging for release."Your tribe tests all intruders, even gods," Rauh continued, circling with predatory grace. "You will prove your spirit before earning your place in our world."Behind Rauh, a woman stepped forward. She moved with lethal elegance—thin, lithe, with striking eyes that pierced through Kaito's defenses. She was Tira, Rauh's fiercest warrior and the tribe's secret weapon."Trial by fire," she declared, voice crisp and cold. "Survive, and you may live among us."The tribe gathered around a fire pit, a circle of glowing embers ready to test Kaito's mettle. The challenge was simple in concept yet savage in execution: endure the burning flames without flinching, proving control over fear, and revealing the strength within.Kaito's mind screamed with confusion. This test wasn't a mere display of physical strength—it was a crucible demanding mastery over body, spirit, and power. His immortality was a shield, yet his soul quaked with loneliness and doubt.Steeling himself, he nodded. Tira approached, her hand passing over the fire as if commanding it. The flames surged, bright and wild, licking the air like living tongues."Step forward, Skywalker," Rauh commanded.Kaito rose, muscles taut but heart open. The first step onto the searing earth was agony—a shockwave of heat that should have burned him to ash—but something within him shifted. A calming light radiated from his chest, a shimmer of power that dimmed the fire's bite.The tribe watched, breaths held, as Kaito moved deeper into the ring. Each step tested his resolve and control over the lingering magic thrumming inside. Flames curled around his limbs, yet he remained untouched.Whispers spread through the watchers. The immortal's power was not just myth—it was real, awe-inspiring.Tira's eyes bore into him with grudging respect. "You hold the fire, but do you hold your heart?"Kaito's mind wandered to the diamond—the strange portal that led him here. His family's face in his memory's soft glow. The impossible ache for home that never left him, even amid this savage trial."I hold hope," Kaito whispered, more to himself than anyone else.The fire's fury began to recede, sensing no threat, acknowledging his mastery.Rauh stepped forward, voice firm but less harsh. "You are no ordinary captive. Perhaps the prophecy holds truth. Skywalker, you may walk among us—but with one warning. This is a land of war. Immortal or not, you will suffer. And your choices will echo through kingdoms."As the tribe began to disperse, the shaman appeared—a figure draped in feathers and bones, her eyes glittering with otherworldly light. She murmured an incantation, weaving threads of fate around Kaito's destiny."You are tethered, yet unbound," she intoned. "Between worlds you balance. To walk the path of immortality, you must learn the ancient arts. Your trial has just begun."Kaito's gaze flicked beyond the camp, to the horizon where kingdoms clashed in shadow. His journey was opening into vast, uncharted territory—political intrigues, dark magic, mythical alliances.Tired but resolute, Kaito allowed himself a brief moment to breathe. The immortal's path was lonely, but he was no longer just a boy caught in fate's cruel weave. He was the Skywalker—the force destined to shape this fractured world, wielding magic few could fathom, chasing a dream that was still his own: to return home.And with that spark of hope burning brighter, Kaito stepped into the dawn